Cubs' offense erupts after Piniella issues warning

MILWAUKEE &#8212; Cubs manager Lou Piniella issued stern warnings to his hitters Wednesday afternoon that he wanted to see more production. Or else.

He got the production Wednesday night.

Derrek Lee lofted his 300th career home run while Marlon Byrd and Geovany Soto each added two to help gift wrap a 9-4 victory for Carlos Zambrano, his first victory since April 10.

"Geez, that's a long time ago, man," he said.

But it came just hours after Piniella called players into his office to tell them that "we're going to play the people who deserve to play. That's it. Period. In a nutshell."

Zambrano even added his first two singles of the season in his return to Miller Park, scene of his greatest accomplishment &#8212; his Sept. 14, 2008, no-hitter against the Astros.

Zambrano even faced the same mound opponent in Randy Wolf, who did his part with five gopher balls in 4 2/3 innings.

Making his second start since his bullpen banishment, Zambrano was just barely good enough, going the necessary five innings while throwing 88 pitches. He gave up two only hits &#8212; one of them a two-run double by Wolf &#8212; but walked five and hit a batter.

In the end, Zambrano welcomed help from rookie Andrew Cashner, who entered in the seventh inning after James Russell loaded the bases and got three outs while allowing a sacrifice fly.

Zambrano and the rest of the staff had some rare 12-hit support from the offense, as the Cubs pounded Wolf for eight runs.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, perhaps not, that Piniella spent the pregame calling players into his office to lay down the law about playing time.

"All we're doing is trying to create a sense of urgency here," he said. "That was the purpose."

The Cubs took it right to the field in the first inning with Byrd driving home Jeff Baker with a homer. And it went to 3-1 in the second inning when Soto smacked his first.

But the Brewers tied it in the fourth on Wolf's booming double off the center-field wall.

Maybe the run tired out Wolf, but the Cubs stepped on the gas in the fifth inning, scoring five more times on homers by Lee, Byrd and Soto.

Lee had waited more than two weeks for his 300th, his previous homer coming May 25 against the Dodgers.

"I was aware of it, but I wasn't going up thinking to try for 300," Lee said. "Now that I'm there, it feels good."

The power display was a welcome sight for a team that had scored three or fewer runs in six of its previous eight games.

Did Piniella's pregame talk work?

"Who knows?" Lee said. "We swung the bats up and down the line. That makes it easier."

"Hopefully, we'll start a winning streak," Zambrano said. "Since the first day of the season we know we can hit. &#8230; It doesn't look like it, but we're loaded."